spinning.........

It's been a while since I wrote on my blog, I know, but I'd prefer to write once I've done something rather than write about things I am planning. So, I would like to tell you a little about my spinning.......that is with wool and a wheel.
It's a well trodden path I think between storytelling and spinning. There are several stories to do with spinning and weaving. Spinning and storytelling was something I had thought about combining for a while, but not knowing much about spinning didn't know where to start.
When I was at 'Festival At The Edge' in Shropshire this year, I wondered into the Craft Tent and, low and behold, there was a group of spinners. I hovered and looked and asked the spinners questions and was invited to have a go. I sat down and started to spin. I had just been wanting to kill a little time before joining Dominic Kelly on his story walk, and thought that a taste of spinning might be good to see if I liked it or not.... It was love at first spin. Sorry to Dominic, I lost track of time and never went on your story walk. Before I knew it and hour and a half had vanished and I'd missed the walk and was making arrangements to part with money to buy a spinning wheel that I felt I could no longer live with out!
That was in July. Since then I have been practicing spinning.
Like storytelling, spinning needs practice, and those who have done it for years make it look so easy and graceful, spinning the yarn to look exactly how they want it to look, smooth and even or lumpy and uneven, chunky or fine.
This morning I told 'Tom Tit Tot' and spun with my wheel to a paying audience. My first experience of spinning and telling.....I need practice, but the children were certainly interested in the spinning wheel, the wool as well as the story. It was such good fun and I intend to carry on spinning yarns of tales and wool. At some point I will venture into spinning other fabrics such as flax and cotton. Who knows, maybe even straw into gold!

I have storytelling and spinning tasks I am working on but will let you know about them soon as they are spun into useful yarns.
Till then.........Jess